Clamping device



G. O. BENSON CLAMPING DEVICE Jan. 7, 1936.

Filed Dec. 10; 1951 wnuuununnnl Patented Jan. 7, 1936 3 UNlTE'D STATES,PATE T Lori-ices; 2 v,g z' ggtgt A :p

v env ronments Gemgoo. Benson, Niagara Falls, N. Y. Application December10, 1931, Serial Nb. 580,109

'a-c aims; retainer The invention relatesto a newand improved clampingdevice and is particularly concerned with the provision of new andimproved means for-joining. electrical conductors.-

Clamps made in accordance with my invention provide asimpleyet highlyeffective way of connecting one electrical conductor toanotherwithoutlthe aid of tools and without manual difficulties.Inadditionthey provide, a firm connec- 10 1; tion thatis reliable andwhich remains intact over indefinite periods, while at the same timeprovidg aneasy and rapid',.method of discontinuing the connection whenits continuation is desired no longer.

This latter feature of my clamping device is particularly advantageousin] making connections ofa relatively temporarynature; because removalof the clamp in no wiseimpairs its effectiveness for subsequentapplications and consequently it Q maybe moved from one location toanother with ease and facility.v Its usefulness in this manner isenhanced by the fact that it is capable of gripping conductors of a widerange of sizes withoutthe'need of adjustment of its-parts.

The cost of manufacturing clamps embodying my invention is low; This isbrought aboutby' the simplicity of theircomponent parts, which are fewin number, and by the ease of assembly. Not only are the parts simpleand few in number, but

they require no elaborate nor expensive auxiliary equipment for theirproduction.

My invention may be understood to better advantage by reference to theattached drawing which has been appended for the purposes ofillustration without intent to limit the scope of my-invention toembodiments shown therein.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one em bodiment of my inventionin use; Y

40 Figure 2 is a view, partly in section, showing a clamp beforeengagement with a second conductor; and

Figure 3 shows an elevation of a. modified form of U-shaped yoke.

The clamp l shown in Figure 1 comprises a U- shaped yoke 2, each leg ofwhich has been perforated to permit of the yoke being slipped over andalong the rod or conductor 3. One leg 4 of the yoke is made shorter thanthe other leg 5 and is perforated with an elongated slot 6 close to theopen end of the yoke. The other leg 5 is provided with ears 1--'|, whichare positioned to provide a gap in said leg at the open end of the yoke,and which serve to hold the conductor I5.

The yoke 2 can be made of any suitable material possessing s'ufiicientstrength in moderatewthick nesses .to provide the necessary rigidityand; eed not be, although preferably is, of conductiveii flr turebecausethe spring lever '8 engages both conductors and thus provides thenecessary pathfop 5, the current. 0 g .The lever Blshownin Figure lispfa u shape, one leg 9 of which is bent out to provide 'a conductor-engaging foot I 0, the end of whiqh can. be of the same'contouras the conductor it; engages 195 orcan'be provided with notches on teethto engage or. bite' into the conductor. The other leg]! n; the .lever ismade longer than the leg 9 with the conductor-engaging foot, in order,to it span the opening between the legs 4 and 5 o M UV-shaped yoke-2-and toprojectpbeyond on e h side. In its preferred form, the leg isbent slightly away from the shorter leg 9 in Qrderto provide greaterpressure. against the conductors 3 and I5, butthis same effect can beobtain d'zby 2a,. making thelegs=9 and. I] straight but .diverging toany desired degree. p

The levert can be madeof steel,.br ass or; drawn copper, but, for thebest results andgreate est permanency, it should be made preferably 2h.spring steel and plated witha protective andconductive material, such ascopper or Because of its flexibility, I characterize the lever 8 as aspring-lever. 1

Figure 2 shows another positionof the clarnp .39; illustrated inFigure 1. In this figure the spring lever is shown with its foot III inengagement with the conductor 3, whereas the opposite leg I l is free.This figure also shows an off-set l3 in the short leg 9, which ofi-setrestrains end-wise 5 movement of the spring lever by its engagement withthe yoke, and thus assures engagement of the spring-lever with itsfulcrum M at substantially the same place each time. End-wise movementof the spring-lever can be restrained by 40 other means than the off-setI3, as, for example, by a rivet through the spring lever toward its openend or by a rivet through the spring-lever on each side of the leg 4 ofthe yoke. By such means, the spring-lever can be prevented from becomingdisengaged from the yoke when the clamp is not in use.

When it is desired to attach the conductor l5 shown in Figure l, the endl6 of the spring-lever, as shown in Figure 2, is depressed. Theconductor 5 is then placed under the ears 1-1 and above thespring-lever, which is then permitted to go back against the conductorHi. In this way the ears 1-1 serve to position the conductor and theconductor serves as a detent for the spring-lever. It

at their free ends so that the yoke can be slipped over rather thanslipped along the conductor, as in the modification shown in Figures 1and 2.

The shorter leg I! is provided with notches |8-l8- in order to'provide afulcrum for the spring-lever which can be of the same nature and shapeas that shown in Figures 1 and 2, except that it is wider. The longerlegl9, like the leg H of the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2, isprovided with ears to hold and position the second conductor as a detentfor the spring-lever.

'Whi1e I have illustrated my invention by a drawing showing specificembodiments and modifications, and have given specific detailsconcerning these modifications, my invention is not limited in its scopeto these particular features because numerous modifications arepossible; for example, the yoke 2 can be made of V-shape or other shapeinstead of the 'U-shape illustrated in the drawing. It may be perforatedalso to accom-. modate a conductor 3 of any shape; such as, hexagonal,rectangular or elliptical, or the perforations for the conductor 3 maybe extended to one side of each leg, instead of to the top as shown inFigure 3, in order to permit it being slipped onto a conductor ofgreatlength. Other modifications include spring levers of difierent shapethan the fiat rectangular shape illustrated in the drawing. 'It may beround or elliptical in cross-section, in which case the yoke isperforated accordingly to accommodate it properly, and theconductor'engaging foot is provided with the required sharp edge orpoint to engage the conductor firmly.

- Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1.'In combination, arigid U-shaped yoke having its legs parallel and perforated, a conductorpassing through perforations in said legs, ears on a freeend of one ofsaid legs to engage a second conductor, and a spring member having twolegs one of. which presses against the first conductor and the otherpresses the second conductor against the ears, said spring memberpassing through a perforation in one leg of said yoke and v beingsupported by said yoke.

2. A clamp comprising a rigid U-shaped yoke and a spring lever incombination, said yoke having its legs substantially parallel andperforated to receive a conductor, one leg of said yoke being perforatedto receive the spring lever, the other leg of said yoke having ears at afree end to engage a second conductor, said spring lever being ofU-shape with one leg shorter than the other and having a normallyprojecting foot of suflicient length to engage a conductor passedthrough the perforations in the legs of the yoke, said short leg of thespring lever being received in the perioration in the leg of the yokeand said longer leg being of. sufficient length to pass between the earson the other leg of the yoke.

3. A clamp comprising a rigid yoke and a spring lever in combination,said yoke having substantially parallel legs with two openings in eachleg the openings in one leg being substantially opposite those in theotherleg and one of said openings being located at a bend in the leg ofsaid yoke positioned adjacent the free end of said yoke, said springlever having a generally U-- shape with one leg substantially straightand longer than'the other and withthe shorter leg bent outwardly of theU to form a foot, the combination being efiected by the U-shaped springlever being received in an opening in one leg with the bent over footsubstantially parallel to and between the legs of said yoke and directedtoward the other oppositely disposed openings in the legs of the yoke,whereby the longer leg of the spring lever becomes receivable in thecorresponding opening in the other leg of the yoke, and 'the combinationbeing characterized when in use by having the bent over foot of thespring lever in engagement with a conductor passing through oppositelypositioned openings in the legs of. said yoke and the longer leg of saidspring lever being in engagement with another conductor which conductoris pressed against the yoke at the bend located at the opening receivingthe longer leg of the spring lever.

' GEORGE O. BENSON.

